title: Safety and efficacy of sotalol in patients with drug-refractory sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
abstract: The safety and efficacy of oral sotalol, an investigational beta-adrenergic blocker with class III antiarrhythmic drug properties, were examined in a multicenter study in 236 patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In 104 patients, the index arrhythmia was a cardiac arrest, and all patients had undergone at least 3 previous unsuccessful antiarrhythmic trials (mean = 5 per patient). In the 106 patients assessed by programmed electrical stimulation, sotalol completely suppressed induction of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 33 (31%) and rendered VT slower (greater than 100 ms prolongation of cycle length) or more difficult to induce in 29 (27%). Using continuous 24-hour ambulatory monitoring methods, sotalol complete- and partial-response rates were 51 and 12%, respectively. Of the 236 acute-phase patients, 151 were discharged receiving long-term sotalol therapy. The median sotalol dose was 480 mg/day. At a mean follow-up of 346 +/- 92 days, 27 patients (18%) had recurrence of sustained arrhythmia; 9, sudden death; 11, sustained VT; 5, automatic defibrillator discharge; and 2, syncope. Adverse effects forced discontinuation of therapy in 10 patients (7%): 6 secondary to symptomatic bradyarrhythmia, 2 due to refractory heart failure, 1 due to torsades de pointes, and 1 from bronchospasm. Life-table analysis of sotalol's overall long-term efficacy at 6, 12 and 18 months were 80, 76 and 72%, respectively. Although mean follow-up was short (less than 1 year), neither acute-phase programmed stimulation nor 24-hour ambulatory monitoring responses were significantly predictive of subsequent arrhythmic outcome. Proarrhythmia was documented in 18 patients (7%), 17 during the acute phase and 1 during long-term follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Kehoe
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Zheutlin
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Dunnington
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mattioni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Spangenberg
mesh_terms: D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013015:Sotalol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013015:Sotalol